Khammam: The amount to be paid on using power will be much less than the amount to be paid as penalty if the officials find that power was being pilfered. This is the message the power authorities want to drive into the minds of the consumers as they expect it will have an impact on them.
Apart from publicising this message, the Transco officials decided to crack a whip on those resorting to power pilferage by taking stern action against them.
Anti-Power Theft Security (APTS) was activated to catch those stealing power.
According to an estimate, power worth Rs 1 crore-Rs 2 crore is being pilfered every month in Khammam district.
In a bid to put an end to this, the power officials have decided to collect heavy penalties from those pilfering electricity.
The officials were asked to inspect the villages under every power feeder and find the amount of power being pilfered. It is easy for the officials to compare the use of power and billing. If there is gap between the two, it means that power is being pilfered.
In 2019, the officials booked 4,730 cases so far. Over 57 people were arrested and the officials collected Rs 2.22 crore as penalty and power bills this year.
As many as 6,698 people, including those booked under power pilferage last year, agreed to the crime.
They paid Rs 54 lakh as penalty and power bills of Rs 1.24 crore. Over 21 persons were taken into custody for power pilferage.
The officials booked 11,981 cases in 2017 and found that 11,545 of them were relating to power pilferage. In 2018, an amount of Rs 1.74 crore was collected as penalty and 6,660 people taken into custody confessed to committing the crime.
